Journey to the How
by Rhianona
Summary: Jayne Cobb falls through the Rift and ends up in Cardiff, where he's found by Torchwood-Three.


_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Firefly, Serenity or Torchwood

written for szm who asked for Jayne meeting Torchwood. Takes place after _Serenity_ and post-season 2 for Torchwood.

* * *

The crew of _Serenity _stood, mouths gaping as the looked at the spot Jayne had been standing not even ten seconds ago.

"Aiya!" Mal cursed, his gun waving aimlessly as he tried to find the source of the golden light that had enveloped Jayne before he disappeared. Jayne might be a pain in the ass but he was part of his crew and Mal didn't take kindly to strange things coming and taking any one of them.

"Um Cap'n?" Kaylee asked nervously, scanning the area with wide eyes. "Where'd Jayne go of to?"

"Gorram it Kaylee! I don't know!" Mal bit out harshly. This was so far beyond his ken and it made him damned nervous.

"Zoe? See anything?" he asked tersely.

"Nothing sir," came her calm reply. That's what he liked about his second-in-command - always calm during a crisis.

River cocked her head to the side as she was wont to do. The crew eyed her, wondering what she saw. They might not like it, but they all knew she knew things in a way that had no rational explanation. "So pretty!" she exclaimed, excitement in her voice as she clapped her hands together in glee. "So much rain! So pretty falling from the sky, washing the pain away, the fear. Tears from the sky." She paused. "He'll be fine Captain," she declared before skipping back on board the ship. Mal exchanged a helpless look with Zoe. He didn't know what was going on, but if River wasn't concerned he assumed Jayne was fine. And as much as it stuck in his craw, he would have to trust that what River said was true and the wayward member of _Serenity_ was okay. River actually liked Jayne for some untold reason and if he were truly in danger he suspected she wouldn't be nearly as calm as she was. He finally holstered his gun and headed back to his ship, shouting for Simon. Maybe the Doc could get something that made a bit more sense out of his sister, just to make sure that Jayne really was okay.

***

_Meanwhile…_

"Jack! Rift spike, similar to when John Hart came through!" Gwen's voice carried over the Rift alarm blaring through the Hub.

"It better not be Hart again," Ianto grumbled darkly under his breath as he joined Jack and her by the monitors. It still pained him to see Tosh's station without her. Two weeks since the disaster that claimed Owen and Tosh's lives and they were still trying to cope with its aftermath.

"Alright, let's go. But be careful!" Jack stressed even as Ianto downloaded the information into his PDA. With very little fuss, they headed towards the SUV and went to do their job. As much as they wished, they couldn't mourn their lost comrades as much as they wished they could; they had a job to do, needed to protect Cardiff from anyone and anything that thought it was easy pickings.

***

Jayne stumbled as the freakish golden light released him. He hauled Vera up and peered around him, wondering where in the hell he was. He scowled as he realized that wherever he was, it was raining and didn't that beat all? Rain wasn't all that common on most of the planets _Serenity_ visited, seeing as they tended to avoid the Core planets. It immediately made him weary. He looked around him and wondered how he had ended up here? It looked like he was in some type of city, but how could that be? _Serenity_ had landed on White Falls, a Rim planet that didn't have anywhere close to these types of buildings. Again, it looked like something from a Core planet but he damned well knew he would never go to one of those planets - at least not if there weren't some sort of pay out for him.

At least he still had Vera. Though he would rather have the rest of the _Serenity_ crew.

Jayne aimed Vera into the dark as he tried to decide whether to stay or go explore further. On the one hand, if he stayed, then Mal and Zoe and the rest would find him easier. But he also didn't know how much longer it would take them. This wasn't the first time he had been dumped by his crew, though usually they were kind enough to throw his stuff with him when they tossed him out.

His decision was taken out of his hands as he heard a screech and then doors slamming. He peered through the rain as he heard footsteps running towards him, holding Vera at the ready. He wasn't going to be taken in by no Alliance cops.

"Freeze! Torchwood!" he hears and he wonders what the gou shi Torchwood is. He sees three people moving towards him, guns trained on him. He's not stupid and realized that there was no way he would get out alive in a shooting fight. He puts Vera to the side and raises his arms. "Don't shoot." And doesn't he feel like a gorram idiot. He wished Mal or Zoe or even crazy River were behind him.

***

"This is it," Ianto announced, his focus on the PDA as he directed them to where the Rift surge had been noted.

"Okay, keep your eyes open. We don't need to walk into any danger that can be avoided," Jack ordered. Gwen and Ianto nodded, understanding the underlying message behind Jack's comment. They exited the SUV, their guns at the ready as they headed towards the alley the signal had come from. Ianto wondered why it was always an alley.

Jack moved swiftly, in front of his team, wanting to protect them if it was Hart once again. He had a lot of mixed feelings about his old partner. He knew - really honestly _knew_ - that John loved him, or as much as he was capable of loving anyone. But he can't forget that it was John's actions that had led to the near destruction of the city he now called his own and the death of two of his people. John had left as soon as it became apparent Torchwood (Jack) had no need or want of him to remain. Jack really, really hoped John hadn't decided to return. So it was with some relief that he saw a stranger holding a big gun in the alley rather than his erstwhile partner.

The man was big, built and scruffy. He seemed like he was a bit shocked to be here and Jack suspected he hadn't come through the Rift on purpose. It made him feel a little bit better. "Freeze! Torchwood!" he announced and was pleased when the guy actually put his gun to the side. Maybe not a hostile then.

"Jack. The readings show that the Rift has closed. He's the only one to have come through," Ianto told them, his voice professional. He really, really hoped this wasn't another one of Jack's past partners. He really didn't need that, not on top of everything else.

He nodded, noticing that Gwen has the two of them covered. "What's your name? Do you know when you came from?" he asked. He figured it would be best to keep to simple questions. Less chance of spooking the stranger and getting into a gun fight they can readily avoid.

***

Jayne frowned as one of the strangers asked him something. It's not an accent he's heard before and he's heard a lot in his line of business. He noted the guns trained on him and didn't recognize any of them. That worried him more than anything because if there was one thing Jayne Cobb knew, it was guns. (Well that and where the best whore houses on the Rim were located.) And what was that about when? Shouldn't it have been where? He shook his head. They were likely as touched in the head as the Doc's little sister, but hopefully they could help him get back to _Serenity_.

"Name's Jayne. Jayne Cobb. Who might you be?"

"Captain Jack Harkness, Torchwood 3. Do you remember how you got here?"

"Some type of gou cao de golden light or somethin'. Came out of nowhere and took me here. Where's here anyway?"

"The Rift then," the woman says. The Captain nods his head before holstering his pistol.

"If you come with us, we can see if we can help you," he offered. Jayne looked at him as if he's kuang ren like River. But then he thought for a moment. He had no idea if going with them was safer than remaining here, wherever here was. But. Not going meant a fight and he's not nearly as reckless as he once was. Miranda cured him of that. He nodded slowly, moving cautiously towards the Captain and his people. He watched as the man kept him in sight at all time, protecting his people. It's something he's seen Mal do often enough and that strangely comforted more than anything else he's seen.

***

Jack brought Jayne into the Hub via the Invisible Lift. He insisted it was for security purposes but Ianto rather thought it was more to strike awe in the heart of the visitor. Gwen agreed with him. They stood at the bottom, much as the had all those months ago when Jack had reappeared in their lives and was bringing Hart into the Hub.

"If you would please place all weapons on the tray, we will make sure they are returned before you leave," Ianto asked. Jayne looked at him suspiciously and he wondered if the man would cease his cooperative behavior now that he was in the Hub. He bit back a sigh. He really hoped that was not the case. He can see Gwen tensing beside him, letting one of her hands drop to her side where he knew she had easy access to her gun. Jack has also moved his hand to where his pistol rests on his hip and Ianto thought Jayne recognized the move for what it was as he sighed and reluctantly began stripping weapons off himself and placing them on the silver tray Ianto presented. Ianto raised an eye at the rather large gun Jayne placed on the tray with an odd caress. He suspected it was Jayne's favored weapon.

Gwen nodded, giving the all clear and Jack smiled extending an arm towards the conference room. "We'll talk in the conference room, see if we can get you home." Jayne grunted neutrally before following Gwen. Ianto peeled off and went to get beverages and a light snack for their guest. By the time the coffee and biscuits are arranged on the tray and he has joined the others, Jack had almost finished his speech about the Rift in time and space and how Jayne must have fallen through it.

"Bi zui! Cai bu shi! This ain't funny. What's this? Somethin' like Miranda?" Jayne asked, panic in his tone.

"I'm afraid it's true, Jayne. There isn't any one named Miranda here, at least not at the Hub," Gwen said, trying to soothe the man.

He stood from the table abruptly. "Miranda ain't a person - it's a gorram planet. Are you Alliance? You ain't gonna get me to talk!"

"Mr. Cobb, we're just trying to help you. Jack told you the truth. You've fallen through time and space. You're in 2008, in Cardiff," Gwen continued, hand outstretched as she tried to calm him.

"Cardiff? Where in gorram hell is that? Is that in the Core?"

"Cardiff, Wales, Earth," Ianto told him, voice calm.

Jayne snorted. "Now I _know_ you're all a bunch of crazies. There ain't been no Earth, not for centuries."

They exchanged looks, Jack frowning. He knew Earth wasn't destroyed until far into the future, but by then humans weren't speaking what was considered English today. Instead they spoke Galactic Standard. That this guy can understand them meant he couldn't be from too far into the future. Thing was, he _remembers_ something about the Alliance and the speech patterns of this guy were teasing the back of his mind. He was dimly aware of Ianto and Gwen attempting to assure this guy that he's really on Earth in the year 2008 and then he's got it! Of course! That sect of crazy Utopians who claimed a galaxy of habitable planets and moons and then politely told everyone to go away and leave them alone. The Time Agency tended to avoid it since it was too difficult to blend in - as far as the citizens of that galaxy were concerned, they were the descendants of those who had fled Earth-that-was, once the human population had grown too big to remain there.

Jayne was still insisting this couldn't be Earth when Jack interrupted. "Enough. Mr. Cobb, I appreciate that this is a difficult situation for you, but the fact remains you fell through a Rift in time and space and landed in Cardiff in the year 2008. Humans haven't gotten far in space yet. That has to wait another century or so. Now, I'm afraid we can't get you home - maybe one day but not today. But we can help you get settled here. What did you do, where you're from?"

Jack didn't know if it was his expression or something else but Jayne deflated and groped for a chair. Ianto quietly handed him a mug of coffee and a biscuit, both of which Jayne looked at with suspicion until finally taking a cautious sip. "I'm a merc," he finally says sullenly. It's the truth, even if lately he's been a smuggler/merchant. He still carried his guns and still remained with _Serenity_ because Mal paid him (and if a small part of his brain insisted they were family and he would remain even if there weren't any money, he ignored it).

"A merc," Gwen said, sitting back in her chair, eyes wide in disbelief. Ianto barely managed to keep his head from falling to the table. And Jack just grinned.

"Yeah, got a problem with that?" Jayne asked belligerently.

***

Not surprisingly, acclimating Jayne into 2008 was extremely difficult. After Jayne lost his tenth job, Jack finally called Ianto and Gwen to his office. "We need to do something with Mr. Cobb. Thoughts?"

"We've tried everything Jack. Frankly, I would suspect he was being difficult if he weren't so upset with being stuck here," Gwen opined.

"I was thinking… we're still short a few people. And while Katrin and Matthew are scheduled to start on Monday, we could always use another gun," Jack stated softly, eyes pained as he remembered Owen and Tosh.

Gwen opened her mouth in surprise before closing it. "Are you joking Jack?" she finally asked.

"Nope." He looked towards Ianto. He hid his smile as he saw the look on his lover's face. Lost in thought, probably trying to see all the ramifications of hiring Jayne versus letting him continue as he has. "I think he'll be perfect here."

Ianto nodded slowly. "I agree."

"Ianto!" Gwen exclaimed, surprised.

"Jayne is used to fighting - from what he has told us about his life before he came through the Rift. Having someone used to following orders and using a gun would be very helpful, especially as we train Katrin and Matthew. And frankly how much longer are we going to Retcon the citizens of Cardiff into forgetting the troubles Jayne gets into. Better to keep him close so we can keep an eye on him."

Exactly Jack's thoughts on this. He watched as Gwen rolled Ianto's explanation in her head for a bit before she nodded. "Yeah. You're probably right. At least we can give him a trial, see what he can do."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll give him a call then and see if he wants to join us."

And that was how Jayne Cobb, once the hero of Canton, formerly a mercenary on the Firefly class ship _Serenity_, came to join Torchwood-3. And wasn't that an adventure.

* * *

**Translations:** (I do not claim any degree of accuracy to these.)  
Aiya: Damn  
gou shi: crap  
gou cau de: dog-humping  
kuang ren: insane  
Bi zui: Shut up  
Cai bu shi: No way


End file.
